The present invention relates to sound attenuation devices such as silencers, and more specifically, to sound attenuation devices for use with turbo generators or other combustion power sources.
Combustion power sources such as turbo generators, periodic internal combustion engines and microturbine generators for use with machinery, industrial equipment or for electric power production produce significant noise which travels through the combustion power source exhaust system. The noise emitted from combustion power sources can be undesirable and therefore must be attenuated. Therefore, the prior art is replete with a variety of silencers and other sound attenuation devices to reduce the audible noise level associated with combustion power sources.
Some mufflers or silencers use a series of tubes, baffles and chambers of varying shapes and sizes to alter the path of exhaust gases over a short distance. While such mufflers may be effective in reducing noise levels, they tend to create undesirable high backpressure on the power source, resulting in lower power output and lower efficiency. Other mufflers direct the exhaust gases straight through a perforated tube within a larger tube, with sound adsorbing material such as glass wool located between the two tubes. These so-called xe2x80x9cglass-packxe2x80x9d mufflers produce low backpressure, but are not very effective in reducing noise levels.
Exhaust stacks for combustion power sources which include mufflers or silencers typically also include a rain hood or cap to prevent rain, snow or other contaminants from entering the combustion power source exhaust stack. Devices such as a rain hood or weather hood will add additional backpressure to the flow of exhaust gas from the combustion power source further reducing efficiency and power output. While these stacks which include a muffler or silencer along with a weather hood reduce noise, there remains a need for a silencer that achieves high engine efficiency with a minimum increase in backpressure while preventing unwanted contaminants from entering the exhaust stack. Furthermore, an integrated silencer and internal rain diverter will reduce cost and part complexity.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved silencer which includes an integrated rain diverter.
Accordingly, it is a feature of the present invention to provide a silencer and rain diverter without providing additional backpressure on a combustion power source. More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a silencer with an integrated rain diverter without significantly increasing backpressure or resistance to the exhaust flow.
Provided herein is a silencer for reducing acoustic energy in a flow of exhaust gas from a combustion power source. The silencer comprises a chamber which is at least partially defined by a chamber wall where the chamber is in communication with an inlet port for introducing exhaust gas in the chamber and an exhaust port for exiting exhaust gas from the chamber. The inlet port is adapted to be in communication with an exhaust stack leading from the combustion power source. A housing at least partially surrounds the chamber wall to form at least one cavity between the chamber wall and the housing. The cavity may have acoustic absorbing material provided therein to assist in sound attenuation. A deflector is at least partially disposed within the chamber which has a gallery portion in communication with a channel. The channel is provided for draining the contents of the gallery portion which have been diverted from entering the exhaust stack.
The chamber wall may have a plurality of perforations therein. Furthermore, an inlet collar may be provided in communication with the inlet port to permit the silencer to be attached to an exhaust stack. The deflector may be substantially V-shaped or may have a substantially concave shape. Furthermore, the channel may take the form of a tube. The channel may extend through the chamber wall, through the housing, or through the inlet sleeve.
Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from analysis of the following written description, the accompanying drawings and appended claims.